| Title | : | Shivaree |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 150394462X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781503944626 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 290 |
| Publication | : | First published November 3, 2015 |
After four good ol’ boys are attacked in the night while seeking to terrorize a local black family, decades of buried secrets begin to rise. From Conroy’s most powerful citizen—known as “the Judge”—to the man Corinne intends to marry, no one is innocent. Yet the deepest secret of all involves the beautiful, cruel, and dead Miss Ruby. The former belle of Conroy, and Elijah’s lost love, is neither forgotten nor truly gone. But her death is only the beginning of a slow vengeance that won’t stop until its hunger is satisfied.
Shivaree Reviews
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This review can also be found at
Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was an okay read for me. I have had this book for a long time but never got around to reading it for one reason or another. I decided to give the audiobook a try and think that it was a good choice. I really didn't know a lot about the book before I got started with it and ended up rather surprised by the subject matter. It was a good surprise. This was a book that I ended up liking some parts much more than others but am glad I picked it up.
This book is set right after the Korean War in the small town of Conroy. The book does include quite a few points of view and I found it a bit hard to keep up at times. Once I realized there was a vampire in the book, I felt a bit of a thrill since I had no idea this book would include anything out of the ordinary. I liked that the vampire in this story isn't sparkly or sexy. This is a dark evil kind of vampire.
I wasn't really too much of a fan of the characters in this book. The only two characters that appealed to me at all was Corinne and Ruth. There were some pretty horrible characters in this book. Elijah's mom was dreadful on really every level. The judge was equally horrible but had control over much of the town. Really everyone besides and Corinne and Ruth were just awful but I do think that was as the author intended it to be.
Despite not liking most of the characters, I was curious about how everything would work out in the story. There are a lot of hidden secrets in the town of Conroy and it was very eye-opening when they were revealed. There were parts of the story that really had me at the edge of my seat but I felt that the book was rather uneven at times.
Angela Dawe did a great job with the narration. This book had a large cast of characters and I thought she did a great job with all of them. I thought that she added a lot of excitement to the story and I found it quite easy to listen to the book for hours at a time. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more of her work.
I am glad that I gave this book a try. I think that a lot of readers will enjoy this story a bit more than I did. I would definitely read more from J.D. Horn in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Amazon Publishing - 47th North via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from Kindle Unlimited.
Initial Thoughts
This was okay. I found some parts of the story to be better than others but I feel like the story as a whole will prove to be rather forgettable. There were a lot of characters to keep track of in the town of Conroy and more than a few of them drove me nuts. It was interesting how everything started to connected to each other and I liked the vampire aspect of the story. I thought that the narrator of the audiobook did a great job with the story. -
4.5 ★ Audiobook⎮ I am such a fan of anything written by J.D. Horn. His novel Jilo cemented that fact for all of eternity. He does Southern Gothic better than anyone I have read. The writing and the setting of Shivaree were remarkably similar to his Witching Savannah series, as were a few of the characters (namely, Lucille), but the similarities do not go far beyond that. Shivaree was much, much darker than I anticipated based on its superficial similarities to the Witching Savannah series. I often kvetch about the overused vampire trope in Fiction (particularly YA Fiction), but my god, this is no Twilight. Shivaree more closely resembles something you'd expect Stephen King to have written than Stephanie Meyer. I've been starving for this type of dark vampire fiction and I ate every bit of it right up. My only regret is that I didn't save this for closer to Halloween.
For a standalone novel, Shivaree was given incredible depth and development, as I have come to expect from Horn. And as anyone who has made it past the third installment of Witching Savannah will tell you, the man is also fond of bizarre endings. As far as J.D. Horn goes, this ending was pretty tame, if a little anti-climactic. But the more I think on it, the more this type of ending feels appropriate in contrast to the rest of the story. I can't emphasize enough how much Horn did in one novel. Shivaree could have easily been expanded into a series (maybe even preferably). But, in one <9-hour audiobook, Horn still managed to give the reader a fulfilling story with well-developed characters and a world so tangible that feels like it could be stepped into right now. I am seldom this satisfied with a standalone novel, especially one of this size.
Narration review: Whomever has a hand in choosing the narrators for J.D. Horn's audiobooks needs a pay raise. Within the first five minutes of beginning this audiobook, I knew that Angela Dawe was the real deal. Dawe knew 100% what she was about. Her narration abilities perfectly complemented Horn's writing and added so much to the story's atmosphere, as well as the overall listening experience. Her characterization was seriously some of the best I have heard, probably since my last Horn novel. She made his experience so enjoyable and I am absolutely tickled pink to see that she has a very long list of audiobook recordings under her belt. Seeing her listed as narrator will definitely increase my chances of listening in the future! ♣︎ -
Awesome book!! This author is exceptionally talented!
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Shivaree by J. D. Horn is a 290-page novel of the paranormal published in 2015. I stumbled across this novel as part of an Amazon promotion which discounted the book and included an Audible.com accompaniment. I listened and read my way through the book for five hours on a Sunday morning. A fan of horror and crime, I am not a fan of vampires but this novel had so many twists and turns that I will give the genre a second look. The catchy title refers to a tradition on the first night following a wedding ceremony. This novel describes the tradition without any sexual vocabulary. When you read of the ceremony, you will see why that makes sense.
Corinne fell in love with Elijah during their shared experiences in the Korean War. When he was discharged and sent back to the US before Corinne, they continued to write as they planned to get married when Corinne returned home. This suited Corinne as she didn’t want to go back to her home, a place of secrets and possible crime. Elijah looked forward to the marriage also up until the time his former girlfriend, Ruby, returned to Conroy, Mississippi. She had run away from home but had been located by her father, the Judge. Kidnapped from California by her father’s thug helpers, she returned with a mysterious illness. When the Judge summoned Elijah to meet Ruby, Elijah knew that he still loved Ruby and marriage to Corrine would be a mistake. Ruby solved the problem by dying.
Except she didn’t really die. Perhaps she had not been sick but was only going through stages, begun in California, to transform into a vampire. Her seeming death was only a stage to what would happen next. Horn presents Ruby’s next acts, after her death, as a type of revenge. Ruby thought of it as revenge. In fact, Ruby was just an incarnation of evil. She enjoyed discovering skeletons in the closets of her acquaintances and using the secrets to demonstrate power over others. She had been doing so from the age of five. Most readers will not feel sympathy for Ruby. Her perceptions or misperceptions of why she is acting as she does after her death make a gripping action tale. Many of the characters Ruby terminates in grisly fashion probably deserved it. That is up to readers to decide.
In an author’s note, Horn describes the novel as Southern Gothic fiction and provides a warning to the overly sensitive reader. I saw little need for the warning. Some may be offended by the depiction of a Southern Lifestyle that formally divided the rights of white-skinned people from everyone else. The novel covers more than people of only one ethnic group. Sexual terminology is infrequent although when it exists, it is graphic.
This is a novel where I paid attention to the writing while simultaneously enjoying the content. I enjoyed a transition device the author used between the end of chapter twenty-four and the beginning of chapter twenty-five. I always like it when I must consult a dictionary for unfamiliar words. In this novel, I encountered “helpmeet.” It is not a typo, just an alternate spelling. Words totally unfamiliar to me were “tantalus chest,” “atelier,” and “bardo.”
Not every novel impresses me enough to have a favorite line. Without giving too much context, I want to quote this one which occurred late in the novel after a bunch of decidedly weird and awful things had happened. “What is wrong with this place? What is wrong with these people?” Corrine said, not really expecting an answer. “It’s Mississippi,” Lucille responded all the same.” (p. 267). Maybe that is what the author meant by possibly offending some readers.
I gave this five Amazon stars because I liked the complexity of the way multiple surprises appeared. It also reawakened my interest in paranormal novels. Even though I purchased the novel at a reduced price, it was good enough that I was not upset when I found I could have gotten it free through Kindle Unlimited. -
Fantastic take on vampires, with awesome, huge implications not typically delved into (the kind of thing already setup when it is there, cool to see the root germination). Great writing. Great characters. Sordid and scandalous. Totally engaging.
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Loved this book.
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I was a huge fan of J.D. Horn's three-part 'Witching Savannah' series and was sad when it ended, so I was beyond excited to see "Shivaree" pop up on NetGalley. Although the Witching Savannah series had its dark moments, "Shivaree" is a whole different level of darkness.
I was not familiar with the custom of shivaree--which is of French origin and was used (and I guess is still used) in rural communities in the mid-west. It involves a large and noisy "celebration" of a newly wedded couple that sometimes involved forced separation of the bride and groom on their wedding night. In this book, much like the characters and the small town of Conroy, Mississippi, it has a not of underlying evil.
"Shivaree" is set after the Korean war, when army nurse Corinne travels to Conroy to marry local boy Elijah Dunne, who joined the army to forget a past love--the town bad girl 'Miss Ruby' who died under mysterious circumstances. It seems that Ruby isn't really gone and she is mad... at the town, her father, Elijah, and now, Corinne.
J.D. Horn writes so descriptively, he makes the town of Conroy and its citizens come alive. You can feel the sultry heat and the dark cold and can smell the smoke, creosote and the pungent smell of the paper mill and Ruby's perfume. Corinne, the main character is likable, but mysterious--although her past and what she runs from is hinted heavily, I wanted to know more. Ruby (living or not) is not a nice person, but sympathetic to a point when one looks at her past. With the exception of Corinne and Lucille (housekeeper of Ruby's evil father "The Judge"), there are not a lot of 'good' people in the story and in Conroy, and it was with a sense of creepy yet almost gleeful anticipation that I waited for Ruby to take her vengeance.
It would be a really bad pun to say "Shivaree" made me shiver but it did. It's a perfect October read with its blend of Southern Gothic fiction and supernatural horror. Not sure if Horn will explore more of this world in the future but sign me up for the ride if he does.
Note: I received a free ARC e-book of "Shivaree" from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review." -
Argh! What a good book! I *think* this is my first Southern Gothic novel (Do the Witching Savannah novels count?), which may be why I am so enamored with this genre, but I am hooked. I just bought two more books that are Southern Gothic! Yay!
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After reading this. Bet You'll think twice about whom you invite into Your home...
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True Southern Gothic
I got this book but held off reading it because I really had no idea what to think it might be. It has been decades since I heard the word "shivaree" and it just would not fit in place. But once I started reading I was captured by an extremely well written story. The 50's perspective rang true to my memories. The small town Southern perspective also rang true. Given a strong place and time, it was easy to slip into the story web woven by deft hands. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Southern Gothic literature and a paranormal cast of characters. -
Whoa! Creepy in the best ways possible!
Of all of Horn's books I've read so far, this has got to be the eeriest and most haunting. I LOVE Horn's writing and this book did not disappoint me one bit either.
I'm actually afraid to try to write a more detailed review because I'd be afraid I'd accidentally spoil some bit of the book. It's just so good and solidly written. I love Horn's fresh writing style and how it still feels NEAT and tidy at the same time without allowing you a minute of boredom.
Great read that I stretched out as long as I could bear to! -
Set in Louisiana of the early 1950's this is a story about vampires. Not the sparkly kind that falls in love with mortals and eats deer bllod., but the kind that stalks the night and feeds on humans.
It is not obvious from the beginning and doesn't really come into play until maybe the last third of the book.
I love the narration. She does a wonderful job. I am also a huge fan of J.D. Robb so this book was a no-brainer for me. -
Another amazing book from JD Horn. This book was much darker then his Witching Savannah. The characters were very well developed and the story line moved very quickly. I listened to this book and the narrators did an amazing job being this story to life. Moving on the The King of Bones and Ashes....
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This is the novel where Horn meets King
While the vocabulary is an easy read the storyline rises up to Kings level and is enjoyable read. While I have preferred his other books series his writing is growing by leaps and bounds much the same as Koont z did. This is an author to follow on an horror fan list! -
Creepy
This book was so creepy in that you know what is going on, but you can’t decide what’s worse - the anticipation or the actual atrocity being committed. You want to hate the villain, but you can’t help but cheering for the villain just a little bit as you learn more. I absolutely love Horn’s books, but this may be my favorite! -
Wow
So I started reading this book because it was advertised as a ghost story Yeah right. I will say this book was such a interesting read. Everything was in this book everything all crunched up in a great Love story. -
Read through
netgalley.com -
While I did not enjoy this book as much as Horn's witch series books, this was a decent story. I was not fond of any of the characters really, but the story was interesting.
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So much love!
Shivaree is kinda like a really, really long short story. A brief look at just a couple of days in the lives of some ordinary, yet extraordinary characters. The language is as rich and compelling as a pan of chess bars. The plot is fair to middlin' predictable. But the characters are the heart of the story.
He shows us straight off the bat the main character might be a fairly two-dimensional "good guy" heroine, but she's by no means a "Jane Eyre." She, and the other purely good characters aren't the especially thought worthy characters.
Ava, for example. I spent many a minute pondering the obviously misunderstood nature of Ava, and admiring the writer for his astounding ability to give such a remarkable amount of depth to her, with such brevity. Her character is only the focus for a few short bits but her personality is, by the end, a full blown person. A person we all know, that we can all understand with just the tiniest bit of understanding.
In her own way, she is as powerless as Lucille. She's resigned or accepted her lot in life in a much different fashion. With just a couple of seemingly throwaway sentences, the writer shows us she is not bad hearted, she's just embraced "the way things are supposed to be" as a defense mechanism. A way to survive her powerless lot in life.
The part of Ava everyone seems to loathe is the part that exists in most everyone. Think back to a time you were in a store or restaurant and there was a child behaving in a manner that was contrary to everything you know as right or proper. The tween being a brat, the toddler making screaming demands and smacking at its parents. Now imagine it or them moving in with you for what you're sure is going to be forever. I'm certain most folks would harbor a little bit of Ava's curt corrections in their hearts, and more than a few would allow those curt corrections, and impatient aggravation to pass their lips.
Long review longer, I can't recommend Shivaree enough...if you like gothic fiction at all. Yes, as someone mentioned there are vampires. I could overlook the now worn out trope 'coz they don't sparkle, they aren't mopey, and everything around them is outstanding. -
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway winner. OK, so the disclosure part is done.....on to the review.
Set around the time of the Korean War in Mississippi, the story follows the travels of former Army Nurse Corinne Ford, as she ventures to some forlorn town to meet her fiance, Elijah Dunne. Corinne and Elijah met in Korea, where Elijah had an untimely meeting with a bullet from a sniper. Corinne nursed him back to health, become close to Elijah and agreed to move to Mississippi upon her discharge from the Army.
We find Elijah back at home, with a touch of PTSD and the hots for his former estranged girlfriend. Unfotrunately, Elijah's former flame, Ruby, has come back from sunny California and up and died on Elijah. This puts a damper on his reunion with Ruby, but also should clears the way for his new (and newly arrived) finance. Elijah has never gotten over Ruby, but gives it the 'ol college try to be a happy and faithful partner to Corinne.
Well, this being Mississippi and all, strange things start to happen around the little town of Conroy. People start dropping like flies, with a whole lotta redneck misdeeds abound, and some pretty freaky (even by Mississippi standards) stuff starts to happen. The author gives us glimpses of the sorted past, through flashbacks, which help fill out the story. Without giving away too much, this is not the typical book you would expect. There are supernatural themes, good vs evil themes, evil vs evil themes, and the everpresent racial tensions that were common in the 50s and, especially, in Mississippi.
The author does a good job creating a fairly lively story. Some details bog the flow, as well as a ton of characters thrown in to attempt to create alternative storylines. However, some of the extra characters are unnecessary and never really seem to be an integral part of the tale. The book reads pretty fast and some chapters need to be read before putting the book down. A pretty cool ending puts the final twist on a twisted novel.
If you like supernatural tales, history and an interesting thriller, grab this. I would rate this 3.75 out of 5 stars. -
In 1953, at the end of the Korean War, army nurse Corinne Ford arrives by train at the farming town of Conroy, Mississippi, instead of returning home to California. Surprised that her fiancé, Elijah Dunne, is not at the station as promised, she accepts the awaiting chauffeur’s information that Elijah is busy on the family farm. In Korea, injured PFC Elijah had ended up in a MASH unit, and Corinne nursed him back to health. Elijah proposed marriage, and Corinne accepted him, succumbing to his country boy charm. Also, other reasons prevented her from returning to San Francisco. While Elijah’s mother and father are indifferent to her, Corinne is perturbed when Elijah welcomes her with only a handshake and a peck on the cheek. Elijah is traumatized not only from the war but also from the loss of his past love, Ruby, who died mysteriously. When unexplained murders occur, as if by a supernatural force, it appears that Ruby is back from the grave to seek vengeance upon the unsavory town folks and give Elijah a grand shivaree.
An accomplished author, Horn has done a marvelous job of writing this novel, his new venture into Southern Gothic fiction. The detailed descriptions of the settings, the heat, the smells, and the accented dialogue take us into the sleepy Deep South town. We see life just as it was in the 1950s, with its racial prejudice, farming life, buried family secrets, devious characters, corrupt officials including a domineering “judge,” and the ever-present KKK. How outspoken Corinne, a stranger in town expecting to start a quiet new life, manages to survive in these nightmarish surroundings makes for a captivating read. Supernatural Gothic elements give a sharp edge to the story, which, as appropriately noted by the author, some readers may find disturbing.
This review first appeared in the HNR magazine Issue 75 (February 2016) -
WOW, what a read. I am staying out of the fog from now on. This was a really great slant on the vampire theme. Ruby, beautiful, willful, sadistic, and filled with hate is back home. But not for long, she is sick and soon dies.
Elijah returned from the Korean war too late to see her. She was his one true love. He never believed the things that his friends told him about her.
Corinne, an army nurse who met Elijah in Korea, has arrived in Conroy. They were going to marry. She is not a shy woman. Being in a military hospital during a war has made her independent and out spoken. She also knows how to shoot a gun.
Now it gets really spooky cause Miss Ruby is not "dead". She starts off slow and takes her vengeance on those who "wronged" her.
There is so much in this story going on. Many things that happened in the southern states in the 50's. The power of a high placed man, The Judge, and how he defined justice. The local law their attitude toward the black residents. The way men expected women to stay in the home and cook, clean, and not talk back or ask questions.
Everything comes to a boil when Miss Ruby starts killing. It's not nice. The chain of events starts bringing long hidden secrets to light. Secrets that shock and explain why Ruby is so hateful.
Horn had done a marvelous job of telling this story. The main characters are well developed and the plot has some really unexpected twists and turns. This is a great book for Halloween or any time you want to hide under the covers and read.
Thank you Goodreads and J.D. Horn for the free book. It's great. -
"Shivaree" is a story about a woman named Corinne who travels to Conroy, Mississippi to join her fiance. Once there, strange things start happening. Corinne wonders if Elijah's parents are truly accepting of her, but she has far more to deal with than she realizes at first.
Lucille is a black woman who works for the man who runs the town, known as 'The Judge.' One night, some white men wearing white hoods arrive at her house. They accuse her son of stealing, and proceed to terrorize her. But somethings attacks the men, and Lucille spirits her children out of town to keep them safe. Alas, she cannot leave, because the Judge has made sure no one will sell her a train ticket or help her.
People start going missing or getting wounded and the mystery deepens. Corinne's fiance Elijah is hiding the secret of his long lost love, Ruby. Ruby is also the Judge's daughter and died many years ago.
I found this story to be creepy (in the best possible way!) and an excellent read from start to finish. Highly recommended to fans of the Southern Gothic genre, as well as anyone who likes a fast paced tale of revenge and horror.
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This story is really nothing like the 'Witching Savannah' series which I loved, however I see that it started out as a short story and was taken a little further. It wrapps up rather quickly but if you think of it more as the short story it was intended to be it works.
Corrine, an army nurse from California travels to a small town in Mississippi to marry Elijah who she met during the war. However, things are much different here in this Southern town where secrets and depravity run amok. Ruby, the daughter of The Judge and first love of Elijah, has died and became a vampire. She sets out to destroy the people who have wronged her. It moves fast and can be quite gruesome but most of the people in this town deserve what befalls them.
I felt there were a couple of plots holes that were never fully explained like the coroner knowing what to do in the first chapter after Ruby’s heart started beating. Who was he? Was he the boyfriend that went out to L.A. with her? If not, what happened to him? -
What a wonderful author Mr. Horn is! He has done it again! While different than his Witches of Savannah novels, Shivaree was just as good, a deliciously southern novel with a twist of old fashioned Gothic to it. He included many issues, a few being sexual and physical abuse, racism, bullying, incest, and yet these serious issues don't seem to weigh the book down.
I loved the ending, but there's definitely an opening for a possible sequel. The characters were well written, a terrific blend of complexity, lightness and darkness.
I definitely recommend this and all of J D. Horn's novels.
*Thank you to the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review* -
As a huge fan of the Witching Savannah series I was so excited to see a new book by J.D. Horn. He has another winner with this book. What an engrossing, spooky, and wonderful story. J.D. Horn is such a good storyteller. As with his others, this book sucked me in right from the beginning and kept me hooked until I was finished.
He has such a wonderful way to describing things that really makes me feel like I'm there. His characters are always well-developed and interesting. He's definitely become one of those authors where if I see he's written a new book, I'll read it immediately. This is the perfect book to curl up under a blanket with on a lazy Saturday. Well done.
Note: I received a free ARC e-book of "Shivaree" from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review. -
I really enjoyed this book! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I kind of felt like the ending happened quickly and there might have been more closure for the main characters...
....but maybe that's another book for another day?
*hopes* : )
This book is a whole lot darker than the Witching Savannah series. The topics are more serious and more real-life, which makes you kind of squirm inside a bit.
I would definitely recommend the book, in fact I have, to anyone who likes a bit of scary dark fiction from the south. It's very descriptive, which I LOVE, and it's pretty fast-paced.
:) I'm so happy that I stumbled upon J.D. Horn's books.
Keep 'em coming!
(no pressure! haha)
